Thor the kitten may be small but he’s got a big voice, and he isn’t afraid to use it!
At the end of August, Heidi and Ronald Stamper lost power in their Farmington Hills, Michigan home. They set up a portable generator to run their appliances, but they accidentally closed their garage door. Without proper ventilation, deadly carbon monoxide gas began to seep inside their home.
Carbon monoxide is silent, odorless, and deadly. And unfortunately, Heidi, Ron, and their two kids had no idea they were being poisoned when they went to bed that night.
At around 1:45 a.m., Heidi was awakened to a dreadful screeching sound. She discovered their 4-month-old kitten, Thor, was screaming and seemed very sick. She picked him up, and brought him outside for some fresh air. She noticed the kitten revived and seemed much better outside, so she opened a window in the house and went back to bed.
Heidi lost consciousness as the gas began to take hold.
“Half an hour later, the cat started screaming again,” Heidi recalled. “It woke me up, but this time, I had sweat through all my clothes. I wasn’t able to move. I felt really sick to my stomach.”
When Heidi didn’t respond, Thor went to the kids and resumed his screeching. Finally, 13-year-old Paige and 11-year-old Quinn realized something was wrong. Heidi woke up on the floor with her family frantically trying to revive her. They made their way outside, where Ron passed out. The kids called 911, and all four of them were taken to hospitals to be treated for severe carbon monoxide poisoning.
Authorities are now praising Thor for saving his family’s life!
“Thor played a crucial role in saving the family of four, said Farmington Hills Fire Chief Jon Unruh. “All four of them were suffering severe effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.”
The police department hopes the Stamper family’s story will remind others about the importance of having carbon monoxide detectors installed on each floor of the home. The Stampers did not have them, but you can be sure they installed some the second they got out of the hospital!
“This is a frightening example of how carbon monoxide can accumulate quickly and potentially be fatal,” said Chief Unruh in a release. “Fortunately, this incident had a positive ending, but we hope all families will learn from the Stampers and keep their generators outside.”
Heidi and her family are now back at home, and they’re incredibly grateful to their kitten for saving them.
“Just the thought that I wouldn’t be here to see my kids, that’s really scary,” Heidi said. “If it wasn’t for Thor, we wouldn’t be here. He saved our lives.”
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